ESX 4.0.0 & ESXi 4.0.0 build 171294 BIOS and executable mod [Archive]

sebus

08-21-2009, 12:46 PM

Thanks, will check it out.
With ESX 3.5.3 the workstation 6.5.2 BIOS worked just fine, it might have changed in v4, so good to have correct version

Do you know what was actually changed/adjusted?

sebus

alex sikorsky

08-21-2009, 01:06 PM

VM with new virtual hardware revision 7 not start on ESX4.0 with old bios...

sebus

08-21-2009, 01:11 PM

OK, that is the BIOS sorted, what about the executables?
What was adjusted in them?

And what slic is inserted (I assume HP)?

sebus

alex sikorsky

08-21-2009, 01:43 PM

what about the executables?
What was adjusted in them?

In this executables original bios replace by modded with slic.

And what slic is inserted (I assume HP)?

Yes, HP 2.1 SLIC.

sebus

08-21-2009, 02:16 PM

Sory, did not yet use ESX4 (will be moving to next month)
Can the BIOS file still be used externally with
bios440.filename =

Thanks

sebus

alex sikorsky

08-21-2009, 03:55 PM

Can the BIOS file still be used externally with
bios440.filename =

Yes, it work. But if added this string to the config file SVMotion dont work correctly.
Replace the ESX/ESXi executable on a modded, and do not add string, to resolve this problem.

alex sikorsky

09-29-2009, 09:40 PM

For ESX & ESXi build 193498: http://rapidshare.com/files/286605063/vmare_ESX___ESXi_193498_executable_with_HP_2.1_sli c.7z

sebus

09-29-2009, 09:45 PM

Thank you again

sebus

free2ride

10-02-2009, 08:09 PM

For ESX & ESXi build 193498: http://rapidshare.com/files/286605063/vmare_ESX___ESXi_193498_executable_with_HP_2.1_sli c.7z

There is something which I can't understand:

Original file sys.vgz from ESXi 193498 is 46,xxx,xxx MB but your file is 45,xxx,xxx MB. The BIOS file has the same length, so the sys.vgz should have the same length.

Please tell me what and how you replaced.

Thank You!

alex sikorsky

10-02-2009, 09:04 PM

In the image replaced only one file, everyone can unpack and check it. I used gzip with "-9" key for packing image, distinction from for it is possible.

free2ride

10-03-2009, 07:42 AM

In the image replaced only one file, everyone can unpack and check it. I used gzip with "-9" key for packing image, distinction from for it is possible.

Thanks for the information.

I have another question. It is possible to add SLP 1.0, SLIC 2.0 and 2.1 to the same VMware BIOS file?

I am asking about this because probably you will have all OS's on a ESXi server.

If it is possible can you add them please.

I really appreciate your work on this problem.

Thank you!

EDIT: I used SLIC Dump ToolKit to see SLIC tables and the status message is
Dump Error ! (SLIC Table Not Find ! ). OS used for test: Win Srv 2008 R2

I just replaced the sys.vgz file in ESXi. Do I need to do something else?

sebus

10-03-2009, 09:37 AM

SLIC 2.1 is backwards compatible with 2.0 so there is NO need to have both inserted (do not even know if that would be possible)

sebus

free2ride

10-03-2009, 01:25 PM

SLIC 2.1 is backwards compatible with 2.0 so there is NO need to have both inserted (do not even know if that would be possible)

sebus

Thank you for the answer. But it is possible to have SLP 1.0 and 2.1 to activate Windows XP and Windows server 2003??

ramalina

10-07-2009, 08:51 PM

Can anyone explain how to extract bios file from vSphere executables?

thanks.

alex sikorsky

10-11-2009, 12:25 PM

EDIT: I used SLIC Dump ToolKit to see SLIC tables and the status message is
Dump Error ! (SLIC Table Not Find ! ). OS used for test: Win Srv 2008 R2

I just replaced the sys.vgz file in ESXi. Do I need to do something else?

You upgrade host from older build?
If so /vmfs/volumes/Hypervisor1 is backup. Active copy stored in /vmfs/volumes/Hypervisor2...

SLP 1.0

Already included...

Can anyone explain how to extract bios file from vSphere executables?

$ objcopy vmware-vmx -O binary -j .bios440 --set-section-flags .bios440=a bios440.rom.Z
$ perl -e 'use Compress::Zlib; my $v; read STDIN, $v, [bios440.rom.Z size in bytes]; $v = uncompress($v); print $v;' < bios440.rom.Z > bios440.rom

sebus

10-11-2009, 01:49 PM

Thank you for the answer. But it is possible to have SLP 1.0 and 2.1 to activate Windows XP and Windows server 2003??
XP & 2K3/2K3 R2 ALL 3 use SLP 1.0

Vista/2K8 use SLIC 2.0 by default (but can use 2.1 as it backwards compatible)
7/2K8 R2 use SLIC 2.1 ONLY

sebus

sebus

10-11-2009, 01:51 PM

Thanks Alex for explanation!

sebus

ramalina

10-14-2009, 07:59 PM

$ objcopy vmware-vmx -O binary -j .bios440 --set-section-flags .bios440=a bios440.rom.Z
$ perl -e 'use Compress::Zlib; my $v; read STDIN, $v, [bios440.rom.Z size in bytes]; $v = uncompress($v); print $v;' < bios440.rom.Z > bios440.rom

thank you so much!

hellosky

10-21-2009, 06:57 PM

Is there a ESX 4.0 mod with Dell SLP 1.0 and SLIC 2.1?

pix

10-31-2009, 12:52 AM

I found this interesting page from 2004 by Borg Number One of BNOTB fame.

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/28149

What took us all so long!

Maybe Alex could give us a step-by-step guide to re-integrating the bios back into the executable, to complete the circle?

I'd love to see all this built into @searchengine's great WS bios patcher (http://forums.mydigitallife.info/showthread.php?t=11152) :)

sebus

10-31-2009, 09:15 AM

Thanks pix, somehow I did miss this post on VMware communities...

Yes, lets hope Alex can give us the "missing" bit (please Alex?)

sebus

alex sikorsky

10-31-2009, 07:20 PM

It is very simple...
Compress modded bios:
$ perl -e 'use Compress::Zlib; my $v; read STDIN, $v, 524288; $v = compress($v); print $v;' < bios440_mod.rom > bios440_mod.rom.Z

Remove original bios from executable:
$ objcopy -R .bios440 vmware-vmx

Place moded bios into executable:
$ objcopy --add-section .bios440=bios440_mod.rom.Z vmware-vmx

sebus

10-31-2009, 10:36 PM

Excellent, thanks!

sebus

pix

11-03-2009, 07:19 PM

Thanks a lot for the info alex. Any chance of any guidance with ESXi?

I'm trying to do all the unpacking / repacking inside ESXi, over SSH, using roughly the procedure from this post:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1349336;jsessionid=7F02C00E1455943BEAE6876C29B4AF8 5#1349336

But after I repack and put sys.vgz back into the Hypervisor1 folder and reboot i get a pink screen of death with a message about a corrupted image. :confused:

deMarchi

11-18-2009, 01:02 PM

lightman

11-20-2009, 12:57 PM

sorry, is that procedure fro esx or esxi. I need for esxi 4.0 placed on external usb flash. any suggestions? thanks!

does this modded bios also works for the new ESXi 4.0 Update 1??

or is this the same version.....

alex sikorsky

11-21-2009, 06:51 PM

Complete package for Update1(build 208167): http://rapidshare.com/files/310225037/vmare_ESX___ESXi_208167_executable_with_HP_2.1_sli c.7z

lightman

11-22-2009, 09:53 PM

thnx, but can only download if i am a premium member, can you upload it anywhere else?

sebus

11-22-2009, 10:08 PM

"There are no more download slots available for free users right now. If you don't want to become a premium member, you might want to try again later."

Just wait a bit

sebus

hellosky

11-23-2009, 12:52 AM

Complete package for Update1(build 208167): http://rapidshare.com/files/310225037/vmare_ESX___ESXi_208167_executable_with_HP_2.1_sli c.7z

how would I insert the Dell SLIC instead of HP?

pix

11-23-2009, 08:13 PM

how would I insert the Dell SLIC instead of HP?

You could use the tool on this page:

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/showthread.php?t=12982

to extract the bios from your server then mod it in the same way you'd mod a WS6.5 bios (pages 4-8 are the ones you need):

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/showpost.php?p=151999&postcount=17

Then you can use the tool to inject the bios back to your server.

It works with ESX and ESXi and you'll easily be able to re-inject your modded bios if you apply any updates to the server.